A Chance Meeting
by iwritetokeepthevoicesquiet
Summary: A look into the origins of the Ibn-La'Ahad family and their connection with the Sofian family. The writing prompt was 'a chance meeting'. "You said his name is Umar, but we do not know the name of his father or family line… so he shall be called Umar Ibn-La'Ahad." "The son of none?" Questioned Fadl, finding it an odd name for a child.


Song Inspiration _I've Seen it All_ by Thom Yorke  & Bjork

Family Line for reference:

Altair Ibn-La-Ahad - Umar Ibn-La'Ahad (Altair's Father)

Abbas Sofian - Ahmed Sofian (Abbas's Father) - Fadl Sofian (Abbas's Grandfather)

Al Mualim - Al Rashid (Mualim's Older Brother)

* * *

 **A Chance Meeting  
**

Fadl's eyes burned as he approached the smoking wreckage before him. He heard his brothers behind him, slowly stepping through the carnage of a massacred caravan. It was not unusual for travelers to be preyed upon by those who wander the roads with hungry eyes… but this was different. This was a caravan of refugees; they had nothing but the clothes on their backs and the will to live in their hearts. Fadl could think of no reason to kill them. No reason that would occur to the mind of the sane. His dark eyes dragged over the smoldering remains of a wagon as he rummaged through it, yet he stood and straightened himself to his full and impressive height when one of his brothers called out.

"Master, I have found one that still lives!"

Fadl rushed over and knelt by his brother and the body curled in the mud. A woman, perhaps in her thirties. Her hair was matted with blood and her face covered in dirt so it was difficult to tell her age. Fadl pulled his waterskin free from his sash and held out to her cracked lips.

"Peace be upon you, _aanesa_."

She drank greedily from the waterskin and collapsed back into his arms, whatever remaining strength she had left now gone as she gripped her side and groaned.

"My deepest thanks, _sayidi almuhtaram_." Her voice was hoarse and raspy. "You and your friends are like angels sent by heaven… please…" She coughed into his chest, fingers gripping his white robe weakly. "I wish to thank you and your friends by name for finding me."

Fadl placed his hand over hers in what he hoped would be a reassuring gesture. "I am called Fadl Sofian. I am a Master of the Order in Masyaf. These are my brothers." He gestured to the white clad figures surrounding them.

"I feel pity for the mother that birthed you all and the father with so many mouths to feed." She quipped, a hesitant smile quivering at her split lip.

"I see you are not so injured to have lost a sense of humor." Fadl laughed. "Not brothers by blood perhaps, but brothers by spirit."

Her eyes twinkled, then went dull once again. "Fadl… have others survived?"

"We are searching."

"This was an attack without reason, a warlord's fetish to inflate his already swollen ego." She struggled to sit up, so Fadl sat behind her with crossed legs to steady her as she looked about. "My family…"

"Where are they?"

Her lips hardened into a grim line but he felt her thin shoulders shake. "My husband is dead and my only son with him. They served the Council of Ten and shared their fate when they fell. My daughter and I struggled to feed ourselves and traveled where the harvests were good. The people who have plenty are more likely to share with those who have nothing." Her voice shook with anger. "I never thought that it would be our own that would hunt us like pigs for sport! The weak and cruel vie for lands while our government crumbles. If starvation does not end us, the infighting among our leaders surely will."

Fadl nodded as she grew silent. "You speak with the wisdom of one who has seen too much. Your daughter?"

He heard a broken sob as she gestured to the blood soaked road surrounding them. "Surely among the bodies of the dead!"

Fadl's throat constricted on the false comforts he was about to offer. Instead he remained silent.

"What is your name?"

She wiped her eyes and turned to him. "Hala." They stared at each other a moment longer before Fadl slowly stood, his hand lingering on hers.

"I will return Hala, then you and I shall leave this wretched place."

As he and his brothers searched they found a few other survivors among the dead. An elderly woman who was badly injured and a young man who had managed to hide when the attack began. They came upon the bodies of soldiers riddled with thick arrows, all grouped together as if slain by a single archer. Fadl returned to the survivors, his lungs burning from the acrid stench beginning to permeate the road.

"Was there was a warrior among you? An archer?"

The three survivors looked at each other the young man and Hala shaking their head regretfully, but the elderly woman gestured for Fadl to come closer.

"Young man, I am too feeble to speak above more than a whisper, but I know the family of whom you speak."

Fadl knelt down by the elderly woman so she did not strain herself. The other two survivors also drew closer to hear her airy words.

"They are not from the village originally. At least, I had never seen them before..." She paused for a breath. "They were strange. He appeared the first night after we fled from our homes in fear of the approaching warband. At first I thought he was a thief intent on robbing me." She paused to catch another watery breath. "I was not sure if his intent was good or ill… he claimed to be a _fida'i_ of _Hashshashin_ to the _Nizari_ _Ismailis_."

Fadl's brows furrowed and she smiled crooked teeth at him. "I see that the name means something to you. I am impressed you know of them."

"Some say we once were allies… now we do not walk the same path. They are an ancient and dangerous sect. How did one come to be here?"

"You ask as if he would tell me." She wheezed in a way that sounded like a laugh. "He was not alone either. He had his woman and his infant with him."

" _Nizari_ _Ismailis_ must be destroyed then. The _fida'i_ would never abandon his Master." Fadl chewed the inside of his lip and prayed the _Hashshashin_ yet lived. "Did you see where he went when the attack began? Do you know his name?"

She shook her head sadly. "Though I helped him I feared inviting a killer by trade into my tent. The mother would sing to her child though… the infant is called Umar."

The Assassins stepped away from her as she laid on Hala's lap to rest. Fadl commanded his men to spread out and find the _fida'i_. Following the trail of arrows was not difficult, but it told a sad tale. The _fida'i_ and his woman fled far down a dusty deer trail, nearly reaching the safety and cover that the foot of the mountains would provide. For a moment Fadl dared to hope that they had made it, but as the first star rose in the horizon Fadl saw the collapsed _fida'i_ , his bow string snapped from his longbow and wound tightly about his neck, a cruel and ironic way to end the life of a bowman. Fadl knelt by the warrior and gently laid him on his side, brushing his fingers gently over the glazed eyes. He turned to his second. "He died while still fighting to move; search for his woman in the direction he was headed." As his second turned to carry out his task Fadl returned his gaze to the form in his arms. "Your people and mine share a common beginning. I mourn your loss, my brother."

"Master Fadl!"

"The woman?" He glanced up where his second knelt before an alcove in the rocky hill. Surely it was once the den of a wild animal but now it become the grave of a mother. Her dark ashy hair was loosened from her head scarf, creating cloud like wisps around her young face. The hilt of a dagger glinted from its hiding place in her ribs and Fadl offered a prayer of thanks that her death was quick.

Then Fadl heard a muddled whine.

"Quick, move her forward!"

There, pressed tightly between her back and the rock wall was a small squirming bundle. Fadl brushed his hood back from his face and unwrapped the little wiggling parcel.

Curious amber eyes stared back at him, the infant observing him with trepidation. Fadl guessed he was about a year old and further unwrapped him, revealing the boy's black hair and chubby, healthy limbs. As Fadl frowned, thinking over what to do, the child slowly reached for his face.

Fadl smiled slightly as chubby fingers began to play with his nose. "Come Umar, son of the _Hashshashin,_ you shall have a home in Masyaf. I promise you; you will grow to be a warrior, just as your father and mother before you."

Umar conceded by chewing on Fadls finger.

* * *

They gathered together Umar, Hala, and the other survivors and left, heading back to Masyaf. Hala rode seated before Fadl, his arm firmly around her waist, Umar in her arms. They traveled through the night and following day, arriving in Masyaf late in the evening.

Fadl and his men helped the survivors into the infirmary. Hala had been grazed by a sword across her side, painful, but she would live. The young man had been bashed in the head by a pommel then crawled underneath an overturned wagon to hide. The extent of his injuries were unclear, but it seemed that he would need a caregiver now to tend to his needs. The elderly woman had been stabbed, the sword puncturing her left lung. The healer doubted that she would live.

Fadl thanked his men and sent them home to rest before they were given another mission, then he went to report to the Mentor, Al Rashid ad-Din Sinan. The road to the fortress was dusty and uphill and his legs ached from riding. He looked forward to his cushions in the sanctuary and a cold drink of water. As he entered the library he could hear raised voices.

"Your penchant for idealism is troubling! You shall earn your ranks the same way the others have; through the blood of the fallen, not through honeyed words!"

"Your sights are narrow… _brother._ Why slay our enemies when they can be won over by our cause?"

"Enough. I will hear no more." Al Rashid growled. "Master Sofian, come forward. What news do you bring of the raids?"

Fadl rounded the corner noting that Al Rashid's face was grim and his Novice brother had a look that could spoil fresh milk. "I regret to inform you that it was a caravan of refugees that were slaughtered. We found only four survivors."

"Were you able to find the reason behind the attack?"

"There was none that I could discern, Mentor."

"I see." Al Rashid spoke, running his fingers through his short black beard. "The survivors are welcome to stay, provided they can be of use in the village."

Fadl shifted on his feet, his mind concerned for the upbringing of Umar. The fidgeting did not go unnoticed by Al Rashid's younger brother, his grey hood turning sharply to scowl at Fadl.

"You have something to say, Sofian? Or are you going to stand there cowering like a frightened child?"

"Mualim!" Al Rashid slammed his fist on the desk before him. "Hold your tongue! Have you forgotten your place, _Novice?_ Beg forgiveness from your better, lest I decide the order has no use for the likes of you!"

Maulim flinched away from his elder brother and slowly got to his knees, his back still straight with pride. "I ask forgiveness, Fadl. You are ranked a Master while I have no rank to call my own." He bowed his head. "I spoke out of anger and shall now hold my tongue."

"Please Mualim, rise. You have the heart of a warrior and leader, should you learn to tame it." Mualim stood and offered Fadl an appreciative smile. "Your young brother speaks wisely Al Rashid; you have taught him well."

Al Rashid nodded as Mualim took his place behind his chair. "Tell me Sofian, what troubles your thoughts?"

"One of the survivors… he is not even a year old. His parents were slain and he has nothing. What shall become of him?"

Al Rashid was silent for a long moment, his eyes lifting to meet Fadl's. "Is the infant healthy and strong?"

"His eyes were bright and his body well formed."

"Mualim."

Mualim stepped forward. "Yes brother?"

"Give the child a thorough examination. I will trust your judgement. If he is deemed suitable for this life, he shall be raised as a member of the order."

"I will go now. Fadl, will you accompany me?"

"With pleasure, little brother."

* * *

Fadl and Mualim made their way to the infirmary, yet Mualim wore a troubled frown as they went.

"What bothers you, little brother?"

"You honor me, Sofian." Mualim answered with a sigh. "I spoke out of line with my brother; it is easy to forget that he is our Mentor, the great…" Mualim spread out his arms dramatically. "Al Rashid ad-Din Sinan! I wish to sway the minds of the misguided in lieu of killing them… our leader believes me to be a fool."

"You would only be a fool if you let others sway you from your path." Mualim paused, falling behind as Fadl continued forward. "Your heart is noble Mualim ad-Din Sinan; you will do great things. Believe in your cause."

Fadl did not see the almost gentle smile that touched Mualims features, softening the penetrating dark eyes for just a moment.

Mualim examined Umar, looking for any signs of illness. Eventually he stepped away satisfied. "He is a healthy and strong child. We would do well to raise him as one of our own."

Hala lifted Umar in her arms, the amber eyed infant played with a string on her garment.

"The woman who knew of his origins has passed on?" Mualim asked.

"Her wounds were too severe and her body too frail. I fear that the long ride back to Masyaf used the last of her strength."

"… I see. It appears this boy is left with nothing of his past life."

"A cruel fate for one so young." Sighed Fadl.

"On the contrary." Smiled Mualim. "Those who have nothing have nothing to lose."

Hala bristled, cupping Umar closer to her bosom. "What a monstrous thing to say! Have you no compassion?

Mualim pursed his lips, but continued on as if he had not heard Hala. "You said his name is Umar, but we do not know the name of his father or family line…" He clasped his hands behind his back, looking pleased with himself. "So he shall be called Umar Ibn-La'Ahad."

" _The son of none_?" Questioned Fadl, finding it an odd name for a child.

"He shall in spirit as well as in name be a son of the Creed and nothing else." He reached for Umar, smiling. Hala hesitated for a moment but relented when Fadl nodded to her. Mualim took Umar with an admirable tenderness, his rough gloved hands gentle. "Come little brother, let me introduce you to our Mentor."

Mualim turned to leave without a second word to Fadl or Hala, but he held Umar tightly and smiled down at him as Umar giggled.

* * *

Hala sat with Fadl as they ate, eventually setting her bowl down and turning to look out the window. Fadl scraped the last spoonful of broth into his mouth before stretching back, his aching muscles relaxing into the cushions beneath him.

"Fadl..." Hala whispered. She was met with a soft grunt off acknowledgment from the motionless assassin. "I have a request." Another sleepy grunt. "Wed me. I will be a good wife and tend to you and your home."

Fadl sat up briskly, turning to face her with wide eyes. Her face was emotionless, but her eyes betrayed her fear. "Why would you suggest such a thing?"

"I have no family our friends left for me out there." She turned back to the window sadly. "The only answer is to make Masyaf my home."

"Very well, but you do not have to be my woman to stay."

"I grow tired of living on others charity. If I am to stay here, it will be as your wife." Fadl swallowed nervously. "We would be partners, Fadl. I know your life is no easy one, and at any moment you may never return… but I am no stranger to loss." She turned to him, her eyes almost pleading. "Do not think I ask out of love or desire! You and I both need a companion, someone to tend our wounds and laugh at our stories. Someone to come home to, someone I can rely on… someone who relies on me." Her grip tightened on her skirt. "A friend."

"Hala…"

"So I ask you as a friend Fadl Sofian, will be mine?"

Fadl was silent for a moment as he thought over what she had said. He slowly reached out, placing his hand over hers. "Very well, Hala. Please, remain here and be my friend. We shall build a home together, here, in Masyaf."

They smiled at each other as their hands rested on the cushions in front of them.

* * *

 ***one year later***

* * *

Hala stood at the door of her small home, her newborn son in her arms. He cooed at her and she smiled down art him. "Yes Ahmed, your father is returning from Damascus today."

She looked up when she heard giggling and saw Umar running and playing with Faheem Al-Sayf, another little boy in the village. When Umar saw Hala he toddled up, round face and chubby legs flushed.

"I hold baby?" He asked excitedly, making grabby hands at Ahmed. Hala laughed and shook her head. "No Umar, baby Ahmed is too small for you to hold right now."

Umar pouted, his amber eyes obscured by his glowering brow. His face lit up a moment later, all anger forgotten when he saw two familiar forms walking along the dusty street toward them.

"Mualim!" He giggled, running to him with reckless abandon. Mualim smiled as he dropped to his knee and opened his arms. It took Umar a couple tries to leap into Mualims arms, in his excitement and inexperience with moving limbs he continued to fall over in the dirt, giggle, and take off running again. Finally, Mualim swept up the scabby kneed toddler and spun him around, a bright smile on both their faces.

"You stay now?" Asked Umar, picking at the dark red stains on Mualim's grey cowl. Mualim smiled and brushed away Umar's hand.

"For now, Umar."

Fadl wrapped Hala and Ahmed into his arms, kissing Hala gently on the cheek. She smiled before pulling back to look at Fadl and Mualim. "The mission obviously did not go as smoothly as planned." She commented, nodding her head to Mualims splattered uniform.

"Unfortunately not, but Mualim performed well when his presence was revealed. To walk away unharmed and without city guard's detection is a worthy accomplishment." His eyes shone with a teacher's pride. "I believe he will be awarded his first rank today."

Hala turned to smile gently at Mualim as he and Umar were locked into a toddler conversation. She did not fool herself; things would go wrong eventually and pain would return, but here in this moment all was right with the world.


End file.
